An increasing number of facilities (data centers, for example) install and operate servers and other electronic devices in recent years (such a facility will be collectively referred to below as a data center). Data centers are usually assumed to be used from the outside. Accordingly, a data center is connected to the outside through a network, and all servers installed in the data center are also connected to the network. At present, several thousands to tens of thousands of servers are being operated and managed in a large-scale data center.
When many servers are to be installed, it is desirable to install more servers in a unit area. In general, therefore, an accommodation apparatus (a rack, for example), in which a plurality of servers may be accommodated, is used in the data center (such an accommodation apparatus will be collectively referred to below as a rack). A network device (referred to below as a switch) to be connected to the accommodated servers is also generally mounted in the rack.
To accept additional servers from customers or to lend additional servers to customers, for example, the data center may add servers. In general, servers have been added, that is, new servers have been installed in units of racks. By doing so, trouble due to incorrect wiring is suppressed from occurring in the network in use by servers in operation (that is, servers that are working). In other words, a situation is suppressed in which it is difficult for servers in operation to provide services. Thus, with the network in use disconnected, racks have been installed, servers have been accommodated (mounted) in the installed racks, the accommodated servers have been wired (servers, a network device, and the like have been mutually connected with cables), and other related working has been carried out. Before servers are actually connected to the network, the servers are generally tested in units of racks to confirm they will be correctly wired. Only when the wiring of the servers is confirmed to be correct in the test, the servers are connected to the network.
Installation of servers in the data center usually depends on customers. That is, the types and the number of servers accommodated in existing racks depend on requests from the customers and the background of the requests. The types and the number of servers to be accommodated in racks to be newly installed also depend on requests from customers. Thus, when servers are added in units of racks, the number of servers placed in a unit area, that is, the installation efficiency (space usage efficiency in the data center), is likely to be largely lowered. To suppress the installation efficiency from being lowered, it is desirable to install servers individually while suppressing trouble from occurring in the network in use by servers in operation.
International Publication Pamphlet No. WO 2005/006190, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2003-303019, and Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2008-97650 disclose related techniques.